Crate



H.1V. BOWMAN April 11, 1944.

' CRATE Original Filed Aug. 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm /WHAJUW J ATToeNEvJ April 11, 1944..

H. v. BOWMAN 2,346,205

CRATE Original Filed Aug. 18, 1939 2 SheetS-Sheet-Z /vvs--roe HENRY V. BOWMAN A T "rogrwr 71s I Patented Apr. 11, 1944 CRATE Henry V. Bowman, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Bowman Products, Incorporated, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Original application August 18, 1939, Serial No.

290,835. Divided and this application December 23, 1940, Serial No. 371,315

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bottle crates and more particularly to the grid construction thereof. The present application is a division of my application, Serial No. 290,835, filed August 18, 1939, now Patent No. 2,312,621.

An object of the present invention resides in the unique construction of the grid which constitutes the crate bottom and the separators for bottles laced in the crate.

A further object is to provide a grid for a bottle crate which may be completely constructed independently of the walls of the crate and inserted in the lower portion of the crate and suitably secured to the walls thereof, as a unitary structure.

A further object is to provide a grid comprising an annular bottom rail, preferably of T- shaped cross-section, having its intermediate web extending upwardly and having a plurality of horizontally disposed metallic elements secured thereto to provide the bottom for the crate, and a plurality of upright bottle spacing elements being securedto said rail and arranged in crossed relation and cooperating with the walls of the crate to provide a plurality of bottle receiving compartments.

Other objects of the invention reside in the simplified construction of the grid which comprises a bottom supporting rail and a plurality of wire elements having their terminals suitably securedthereto in such manner as to provide a bottom for the crate and a plurality of upright bottle separators; in the provision of suitable cushioning elements on the bottle separators; and, in the provision of a unitary grid structure comprising an annular bottom rail adapted to be detachably secured to the lower edgeportions of the walls of a crate, whereby said bottom rail, in addition to providing the sole support for the bottle separators, also provides a bottom supporting rail for the walls of the crate.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims. 1 I

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved grid detached from the crate;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a crate showing the grid in position therein.

In the selected'embodiment of the invention here shown, there is illustrated in Figure 3, for purposes of disclosure, a crate comprising end Walls 2 and side walls 3, shown provided with suitable hand holes 4 and 5, respectively, to facilitate moving the cratev about from place to place.

The important feature of the present invention resides in the novel construction of the bottle supporting and separating means provided in the crate, which will hereinafter be referred to as the grid, and is generally designated by the numeral 30. The grid, as best shown in Figure 1, comprises a bottom rail, generally designated by the numeral 2|, which defines the perimeter of the grid, and comprises end wall portions 26 and side wall portions 21, having suitable apertures 28 therein, to facilitate securing the rail to thelower marginal edges or the end and side walls 2 and 3 of the crate, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. The grid may be conveniently secured to the crate walls by suitable rivets or bolts 22, indicated in Figure 3.

The grid, as best shown in Figure 1, comprises a plurality of horizontally disposed rods 39, which extend lengthwise orv the crate and have their terminals suitably secured to the upright webs 23 of the end wall portions 2o or the bottom rail. Relatively shorterrods 35 are disposed in crosswise relation to the rods 34 and have their terminals similarly secured to the webs 24 of the side wall portions 21 of the rail H. The cross rods 35 preferably pass under the rods 34 and provide a support for the intermediate portions thereof to prevent said rods from deflecting, when bottles or other articles are placed thereon. The rods. and 35 constitute the bottom of the crate and provide the sole support for the bottles placed therein.

To separate the bottles from one another, suitable separators, generally indicated by the numerals 42 and 43, are provided on the grid 30, as best shown in Figure 1. The separators 42 extend lengthwise of the crate, and each is shown formed from a piece of suitable wire or rod, comprising an upper portion l having its end portions bent downwardly to provide legs ll whose lower terminals are suitably secured to the end wall portions 26 of the rail 2!. The separators 43 are similarly formed, and each comprises an upper horizontal portion 12 having depending legs 13 secured to the side wall portions 2'! of the bottom rail 2|. The rods and I2 are thus in the form of inverted Us, as clearly shown in Figure l. The inverted U-shaped separators 42 and 43 extend upwardly from the rail 2| into the crate, and are disposed in crossed relation, whereby they cooperate with the walls of the crate to provide a plurality of bottle receiving compartments, as will readily be understood by reference to the drawings.

Longitudinally extending rods 44 are secured to the intermediate portions of the legs ll of the separators 42, and similar rods 45 are secured to the intermediate portions of the legs l3 of the separators 43. The rods 44 and 45 are disposed substantially in the planes of their respective U-shaped separators '42'and 43, and are preferably suitably secured together at the points where they intersect one another. The upper wire portions l0 and I2 of the separators are similarly secured together at their intersections. whereby a very rigid and substantial grid structure is provided, which may be completely assembled independently of the crate. In other words, the grid may be made independently of the walls of the crate, as the bottom-forming rods 34 and 35, and the separators 42 and 43, are supported entirely by the rail 2|, as will readily be understood by reference to Figures 1 and 2. Suitable cushion elements, generally designated by the numeral 46 may be secured to the separators 42 and43 of the grid to prevent thebottles from contacting directly with the metal thereof. The cushion elements may be secur'ed'to'thejwire elements by suitable plates '41, shewn in Figure 1.

The no'vei grid herein diseased is extremely simple and -iriexpensive in construction, as will be notedby reference to "Figure 1. The rods forming the bottom of the grid and the" separators for the bottlesjniay'be'secured'to the'bottom rail H by welding or'othersuitable means and the rods"aresimilarly'secured together, as hereinbefore stated, whereby a very rigid light weightstructure is provided. -Asshown-in Figure 1, upright rods 48 may be interposed between and secured to the upper horizontalportions l0 and I2 of the separators 42 and 43 and the bottom cross rods 35, thereby forming in effect, a structural arch whichgreatly strengthens the intermediate portions of the bottom forming rods 34, as will-readily be understood by reference to Figure 1.

All of the parts of the entire grid, including the bottom T-shaped rail 2|, bottom forming rods 34, and the, U-shaped rods forming the bottle separators 42 and 43, are welded or otherwisepermanently secured together to provide a unitary, self-supporting structure of great strength, which, when fitted into the crate and secured to the lower marginal portions of the walls thereof, does not exert any strains against the crate walls, when the crate is positioned on a floor, even should a heavy load be imposed thereon, as the entire load imposed on the grid is transmitted to the bottom rail 2|, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 3. Another advantage gained by constructing the grid independently of the walls of the crate is that it greatly minimizes and simplifies repair work, as there is little danger of damaging the grid, should one or more of the crate walls become damaged in handling. Should one or more of the crate walls become damaged, they may readily and conveniently be repaired, by simply detaching the grid from the crate as a unit, if necessary, whereby free access may be had to all of the crate walls.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown the grid bottom and bottle separators as being formed of wires or small metallic rods, but it is to be understood that these parts may be made of other material, which may be found applicable for the purpose provided they are supported entirely on the bottom rail 2! of the grid, whereby the grid may be completely assembled as a unit independently of the crate walls.

I claim as my invention:

1. A crate comprising a plurality of walls, a bottle separating grid within the crate, said grid comprising an annular rail having an upright flange adapted to be secured to the lower edge portions of the crate walls, and whereby said rail may provide a supporting member for the lower portions of the crate walls, said rail having a plurality of bottle separating elements secured to and supported solely by the rail and, extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom into the crate and in unattached spaced relation to the crate walls and cooperating to provide individual compartments for receiving bottles, said bottle separating elements being supported by said rail independently of the crate walls.

2. A grid for a crate comprising a bottom rail having an upstanding flange, a plurality of metallic rods arranged in spaced relation lengthwise of the grid and having their end portions secured to said flange, whereby said rods provide the bottom of the grid, and a plurality of inverted U-shaped wire elements arranged in cross relation and having outwardly inclined legs the lower end portions of which are secured to said rail, said "elements together with the walls of a crate providing a plurality of compartments adapted to receive bottles or other articles.

3. A grid for a crate comprising a bottom r'ail of T- shaped cross section having its central web extending upwardly, a plurality of metallic'rods arranged in spaced relation lengthwise or the grid and having their end portions secured to said web, whereby said rods'provide' the bottom of the g rid,'and 'a 'plurality'o'f bottle separating elements having their "terminals secured'to said rail and extending upwardlyand inwardly therefrom and having upper horizontal portions arranged in crossed relation which together with the walls of a crate'provide 'a plurality of bottle receiving compartments.

HENRY V. BOWMAN. 

